Jonathan and Sarah Marsden founded Marsden in 2004. What started as a business of two in London and Toronto quickly grew into an internationally renowned business specialising in recruitment for law firms and legal teams, partner search, office launches and mergers.
Michelle Mills joined in the London office in 2009 and in the same year we launched in Sydney with Jonathan Walmsley leading the Australian business. Our Dubai office opened in 2016, when Aaron Faith joined us, and we opened in Brisbane in 2018 with the appointment of Karen Waldock.
In 2019 we completed a transformational merger with Deacon, which took our business to the next level. The merger was the first of its kind and created one of the largest owner-managed legal recruitment businesses in the world. Whilst we still operate as separate brands, high standards, a rigorous approach, exceptional market knowledge and a focus on honest and discreet advice continues to define how we work across both businesses.
Our client list includes premier US and Magic Circle firms, top tier international and leading national firms, mid-tier and smaller boutique firms in all major markets. Our in-house and interim teams work with a range of organisations including global corporations, start-ups and government bodies.
Client or candidate, lawyer or provider, our international team of experts can assist.
Our consultants have industry specific expertise across a range of specialisms. What unites us all is our philosophy of building long term relationships founded on honesty and professionalism. We are all committed to deliver tailored, strategic hiring solutions for clients and to help candidates achieve their personal career goals.
The relationships we create are lasting. People come back to us time and again. The candidates we work with today are often our clients tomorrow. We enjoy watching people succeed and grow in the roles we helped them secure.
Please feel free to contact any member of our management team who would be happy to assist.
Founder
• Mergers
• Office Launches
• Partner Recruitment
UK and Internationally
Co-Founder, Managing Director – Australia
• Mergers
• Office Launches
• Partner Recruitment
• In-House
Australasia
Co-Founder, Managing Director – London
• Private Practice
London and Internationally
We now have specialist partner, lawyer and in-house teams as well as teams specialising in business development, marketing and communications, business support, temporary and permanent paralegals. Our business has grown to meet the expanding needs of law firms and legal teams, helping them grow and recruit across all skill-sets.
Our consultants have industry specific expertise across a range of specialisms. What unites us all is our philosophy of building long term relationships founded on honesty and professionalism. We are all committed to deliver tailored, strategic hiring solutions for clients and to help candidates achieve their personal career goals.
The relationships we create are lasting. People come back to us time and again. The candidates we work with today are often our clients tomorrow. We enjoy watching people succeed and grow in the roles we helped them secure.
Please feel free to contact any member of our management team who would be happy to assist.
Owner
• Mergers
• Office Launches
• Partner Recruitment
UK and Internationally
Owner
• Mergers
• Office Launches
• Partner Recruitment
• In-House
Australasia
We now have specialist partner, lawyer and in-house teams as well as teams specialising in business development, marketing and communications, business support, temporary and permanent paralegals. Our business has grown to meet the expanding needs of law firms and legal teams, helping them grow and recruit across all skill-sets.
I was highly impressed by the proactive efforts which the Marsden team undertook, not just to respond to advertised positions, but to utilise their strong client relationships with top law firms in order to investigate potential opportunities on my behalf. This approach ultimately lead to the opening of a position at a Magic Circle firm, which I then succeeded in securing.
David went over and above for me to make sure he found the right role, in the right city, at the right firm. He was honest and upfront with me, and was always looking out for my best interests. I cannot recommend him highly enough. An absolute pleasure to work with and an extremely talented recruiter.
Marsden is significantly different from most legal recruitment firms that I have used. I was not pushed into seeing anyone but rather my preferences were respected. Instead of sending my CV to every law firm which was recruiting at my level, we worked on a proper strategy for weeks before my CV was finally sent out. I felt I could be honest and trust the judgment of the firms recommended to me. Once I received an offer I didn’t feel under pressure to accept the offer. Their overall service is excellent. My consultant was courteous, professional, responsive and attentive. I would highly recommend Marsden.
I am a banking associate who has recently moved from Ireland to a large US firm in London with the assistance of Marsden. I dealt with Michelle Mills and cannot praise her highly enough for the first class service she provided. At the outset, Michelle invested significant time in getting to know me and my experience and discussing the various options available to me (both jurisdictions and firms). Following this, she was able to offer impartial tailored advice which enabled me to select a shortlist of firms to be approached. Once I got to interview stage, Michelle's in-depth knowledge of the market and the firms I was targeting was invaluable in preparing me for the interview process. Throughout the process Michelle was professional, dedicated, responsive and pro-active. I would recommend Marsden, and, in particular, Michelle to any lawyer who is considering making a move.
I would recommend Marsden to any lawyer who is considering an international move. My recruiters were extremely knowledgeable and on top of the various trends in the legal market. They also had long standing relationships with the top tier firms and so I knew they would present me with only the best opportunities. I found they genuinely cared about me and my career move and took the time to understand why I was moving and what type of experience I was looking for. They helped me every step of the way from putting together my resume to prepping for interviews (and calming my nerves!) to negotiating offers and, in the end, helping me decide whether this was truly the right opportunity for me. To this day, they still maintain a keen interest in my progress. It is a testament to their professionalism, honesty, trustworthiness and enthusiasm that we have become friends through this process.
I had such a great experience with Marsden! I could not recommend David highly enough. From our first call, he went above and beyond to help me find the job I was after; he listened to the type of role and location I was after and tailored all applications to fit my needs. Having spoken to other recruiters, the personalised service received from David and Marsden blew me away. David guided me through the entire application process, spending a lot of time preparing me for interviews etc. Once I landed my dream job with David’s help, his service didn’t stop there (while it could have) – I received congratulatory cards, assistance with the process of resigning from my former role and, most impressively, on the first day at my new job I had an email wishing me luck. I was also contacted by a colleague of David’s in the London office after I moved to check in and see how I was doing. It’s the thoughtful and considered approach David brings to the table that makes him a pleasure to work with. I have already recommended him to a number of friends looking for new roles and will continue to do so.
For lawyers considering international opportunities, I would recommend dealing with Marsden as their best option. They are leaders in this area hands down. While other recruiting firms may have postings for international jobs, my experience with Marsden was that they had by far the best insight into those international markets and direct longstanding relationships with the firms operating there. I also felt they really hustled on my behalf, and actively started exploring opportunities as soon as I approached them with my desire to work abroad. I dealt with their agents in various jurisdictions and they all worked together to find me an excellent role aligned with my background and career objectives.
Marsden offers something quite unique; a personal service and a truly global footprint. They invested time at the outset to get to know me and understand my experience. They listened to my goals and suggested several paths to achieve them. They were equally as happy to not put me forward for opportunities they thought were not suitable as they were working proactively and tirelessly on those that were. With Jonathan in London and Sally in Asia they were able to offer a round the clock service; from coffee and croissant breakfast meetings to midnight interview preparation calls to 6am good luck texts. Despite the tough economic climate Marsden delivered exactly what I wanted and they promised: relocation from London to Singapore and an opportunity to work for a top tier international firm. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
My experience in working with Dave has been great. He is very honest and genuine and in my experience he wouldn’t recommend a role that he doesn’t think is the right fit. Highly recommend.
My experience in working with Dave has been great. He is very honest and genuine and in my experience he wouldn’t recommend a role that he doesn’t think is the right fit. Highly recommend.
I cannot praise Michelle highly enough for her assistance in making my move from a large city law firm to a magic circle firm. Friendly, responsive, pro-active and with an impressive knowledge of the legal market, I couldn't have hoped for a better recruitment consultant to assist with the recruitment process. It really is refreshing to deal with someone who has your best interests at heart and who you feel you can trust. I would highly recommend her to prospective job hunters and employers alike.
Dave was excellent to work with and I cannot recommend him enough. From our initial phone call to keeping in touch post-placement to ensure my new role was going well. I was impressed by his professionalism and dedication to helping me secure the perfect role. He was honest and ensured to keep me in the loop consistently and such a pleasure to work with.
I got in touch with Michelle when I was looking to transition from commercial law in Melbourne to a role in London. With Michelle’s help, I was successful in obtaining a permenant Associate role with a well-regarded City firm. I would highly recommend Michelle - throughout the recruitment process she was highly responsive, supportive and approachable. She has an excellent working knowledge of the London legal market
Sally and her team delivered a friendly, attentive as well as effective service in helping me land this job. Sally is professional and trustworthy and I would recommend her services without hesitation.